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What to Know About the Best Cheapest Ukuleles
I hope you have discovered this guide helpful for helping decide the best choice for you. Tenor ukes are what masters hold, an option for beginners to practice on, and where intermediate players see their approach developing! Now that you have a solid understanding of what makes some tenors better than others, the time has come to pick the perfect tenor ukulele for you.
I would personally suggest the Kala for its full, resonant Koa body that produces unprecedented warmth with each note you strike. Plus, The Koa of this Kala is like wine it betters with age! If you need a budget ukulele there are a few of these too as shown in this article.
After taking a great long look at the entire most popular budget ukuleles listed at below $100 available on the market, we’ve provided you with a listing of the 5 best ukuleles, in addition to some things to remember as you make your decision.
In this quick guide, we’ll check out 5 of the best cheap ukuleles available on the market right now, plus we’ll speak about some essential things to look for as make your selection.
What to Expect From a Cheap Ukulele
Sadly, there isn’t a right answer to this question. It is going to rely on the worth and the manufacturer of the instrument. Generally talking, nearly all best-budget ukuleles are manufactured from laminated wood. This isn’t necessarily a bad factor; however, you should not count on it to sound as clear and bright as solid wood like Koa.
So, to cut things short, when you set funds, you need to begin looking into the specs of the different instruments that you could afford to purchase and get probably the most durable one while ensuring it has an excellent sound.
One other factor that helps goes through completely different reviews of the instrument or seeing review videos to know what to anticipate from every instrument before buying it.
Our Top Picks for the Best Cheapest Ukuleles
1. Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele
Cordoba 15CM easily wins the hearts of the players and the audience. It is rigid and sounds brilliant. Cordoba is one of the best concert ukuleles that you can buy without breaking the bank, and at the same time, you won’t compromise on getting a durable instrument that sounds good.
Build and Body Features
The instrument is mainly made of Mahogany, which contributes to its great sound. It has a solid Ivoroid binding, which makes it more durable. The neck is made of Mahogany as well as the bridge, and the fingerboard is made of Rosewood.
The ukulele is concert size, which lies between the smaller soprano size and the larger tenor size ukes. It has beautiful chrome tuning machines with pearly buttons and Aquila Nylgut strings.
Sound
Cordoba is known for its instruments’ excellent ukulele sound quality. The size of the uke makes it less likely to fall out of tune. Although it can’t deliver the traditional ukulele sound that Hawaiian Koa ukuleles deliver, it offers an impressive build quality that other cheap mix woods instruments can’t deliver.
Playability
It has a total of 18 frets. The Rosewood used in making the fretboard makes the attack easier than other instruments of the same price range. Because the bridge saddle is made of Rosewood, the strings don’t rattle against the fret.
- Loud sound with warm tones
- Attractive design with a quality satin finish
- Lightweight
- Solid and durable
- Easy to hold and strumming is comfortable
- Only available in a figure 8 shape
- Sounds a lot like a guitar
You Can Buy Cordoba 15CM Concert at the Links Below!
2. Luna Tattoo Concert
Luna Tattoo Concert ukulele is wonderful, perfect for beginners who’re simply beginning their music career, and a very good gift as well. Luna Tattoo Concert is among the finest ukuleles below $100. With its engaging design and beautiful sound, it’s a nice bargain.
Build and Body Features
It has the standard ornamentation of the Hawaiian ukulele body. The top, sides, and back are made from laminated mahogany. The tattoo on the majestic mahogany body with the natural satin finish provides the instrument with a pretty look.
The concert size makes the instrument simple to carry and play.
Sound
This ukulele is well-liked for its sweet and mellow sound. There’s a deep bass tone with an ideal treble that makes it sound bright and joyful.
Playability
Luna Tattoo has 18 frets, and the scale is 15 inches. This provides the player extra space between the frets and makes it simpler to play the correct tunes.
It has a C-shaped mahogany neck and features pearl shark teeth-shaped fret markers.
The action is comfy and ideal for newbies. As a result of the strings being made from nylon, they will not stay in tune at first. However, as soon as they’re stretched out, you will not need to tune them again.
- Beautiful Hawaiian quality design
- A loud and sweet sound
- Ukuleles are made with a comfortable neck
- Fret bars may not be rolled down
- Some buzzing may occur
- Made of laminated wood
You Can Buy Luna Tattoo Concert at the Links Below!
3. Kala Ka-15S
Kala KA-15S is an excellent cheap soprano ukulele. You will be stuck with the basics, so it’s considered an entry-level instrument.
Build and Body Features
This ukulele is soprano size, built-in Mahogany body with a Rosewood fretboard. The instrument has a satin finish that makes it extra refined while preserving its simple but attractive look.
The geared tuners are kind of standard. They aren’t the perfect you may get, however considering the worth of the uke, they’re more than simply acceptable. Actually, they’re much better than plenty of different ukulele brands in a similar price range.
Sound
Relating to the sound, you’ll be stunned by how flat this uke is. You may count on some spikes in trebles or muddy lows from different models, however, this one will solely give you a rich soprano sound. All in all, it exceeds all of your cheap expectations.
Playability
The neck features twelve frets, and the scale is about 13.625 inches long. The playability is nice up and down the neck, though some battle with the excessive fret action.
- Outstanding mahogany build quality
- Attractive appearance
- Quality tuners
- Included gig bag
- Laminated wood isn’t the best option but the affordable one for budget ukuleles
You Can Buy Kala Ka-15S at the Links Below!
4. Kala KA- 15T
This model KA-15T has lots in common with the Kala KA-15S model we talked about earlier. However, apart from the obvious difference in size, there are a few more differences that we’ll talk about with you. Kala is an excellent ukulele brand and gets good reviews everywhere. This model will allow you to start learning how to play the ukulele at ease without breaking the bank.
Build and Body Features
Kala model KA-15T is made from laminated Mahogany wood with a solid rosewood fretboard. Being a tenor-sized uke makes it far more playable than the small soprano size.
Sound
This model is louder than its soprano counterpart with balanced tones and resonates louder than other tenor ukuleles.
One factor that you’ll appreciate is the shortage of “wolf notes,” which annoyed a lot of the players. This means that there are no certain notes that resonate louder than others, and the integrity of the notes will impress you.
Playability
Being bigger than the soprano model gave me the chance to make the Aquila strings well-spaced without any high actions or buzzes. The intonation is good, and it is both easy and fast to move your fingers on the neck.
- Comes with a gig bag
- Comes with an easy to use a digital tuner
- Stays in tune for a long time
- The decorative finish sometimes results in some noise around the tuning pegs
You Can Buy Kala KA- 15T at the Links Below!
5. Kala KA-C Concert Ukulele Mahogany “Wrangler”
Assume it’s too good to be true? Read a review of the KA-C concert ukulele, and you’ll be astonished by the sound, the engaging look, and the price tag! This instrument doesn’t look or sound cheap – and that’s precisely why we included it on our listing of the perfect cheap best ukuleles out there available on the market right now!
Build and Body Features
This ukulele is made with mahogany, which provides a warm, nice sound. It’s pre-strung with Aquila Super Nylgut strings and is fitted with 18 frets. The fingerboard is made with contrasting walnut wood, and cream-colored binding protects the edges while adding much more visual contrast. The wood is protected by a satin finish, which appears and feels beautiful, with the added benefit of showing fewer fingerprints and smudges than gloss finishes.
We do need to say one thing that some would possibly think about being a downside. The Kala KA-C concert uke arrives with high action, however, this may be changed: Simply ask for a customized setup in case you want ukuleles with lower action and simpler playability.
- Mahogany top, back, and sides
- Cream binding
- Mahogany neck
- Walnut fingerboard
- Scruffy internal build
You Can Buy Yamaha Violas at the Links Below!
What to Look For in a Cheap Ukulele
Body Size
Before shopping for a ukulele, you need to know which dimension you have to be getting. Let’s undergo the totally different sizes briefly.
There are 4 different sizes of ukuleles, specifically, Soprano, Concert, Tenor, and Baritone.
The soprano is the smallest and the most available due to is considered the standard uke size.
A soprano uke can only have 12 to 15 frets. It’s the best choice if you’d like something that sounds unique, and even in case you are on a tight budget, a Soprano uke will sound more like a standard uke when in comparison with other sizes.
The only concern is that the size is simply too small for people with large palms, so if that is the case, you may need to think about the next best choice.
Concert ukes come next and might deal with up to 20 frets. They’ve wonderful playability because of their long necks.
Tenor ukuleles follow with a dimension that can go up to 26 inches. Tenors are recognized for their warm and sweet sounds.
Lastly, we see Baritones that will reach 30 inches. Baritones sound more like guitars and are near them in dimension as well. They often have a deep rich sound. Though they’re the best choice for people who have large palms, you need to know they lack one of the most engaging ukulele features, which is portability.
Head and Fretboard
As a result of some budget, ukuleles do not have great build quality, you will need to be sure that the neck is straight and the fretboard is fixed.
You need to contact every fret and be sure that none of them is buzzing or causing a noise. Additionally, the fretboard should be smooth.
One thing that’s fairly common with budget ukuleles is the sharp fret edge due to the metal bars.
Tuners
It’s essential to check the tuners of your instrument before you purchase it. Most budget ukuleles include geared tuners. Make sure that they’re all working and can tighten the strings. If one tuner is loose, the entire ukulele will probably be unplayable.
Strings
Although it isn’t a big factor to think about when you’re shopping for the instrument, I imply, that you’ll change them sooner or later. However, getting good high-quality strings could make your instrument sound dramatic better.
Things To Consider Before Buying a Ukulele!
Making the Choice
Simply because you need something at a reduced price doesn’t mean you need to compromise on good quality. Even if you’re shopping for a budget ukulele for a child, adding some more cash will get you a better-quality instrument rather than a toy. And with it, you’ll be able to actually help the kid to build a genuine interest in the musical instrument and music.
The ukuleles aren’t so cheap, and generally, the fancy decorations or photos of widespread franchises on them are what makes them sell at all. However, that won’t make them better. At all times look out for the essential things that make an excellent ukulele when shopping for one to understand its features and the way they perform.
Some of the Cheapest Ukuleles Available
Conclusion
Shopping for a brand-new budget ukulele is overwhelming. A lot of the models inside a similar price range have comparable features. To assist ease things, know the flows in every instrument to see what you’ll be able to put up with and what you’ll cross off your checklist.
As soon as you’re left with few options, see which provides extra value on your cash, and that should buy. I hope now you can find the perfect best cheap ukulele that can satisfy you.
